This application was reported to committee at the discretion of the Development Management Team Leader as it related to a development of scale which was likely to be of interest to the committee.

The application was deferred by the Planning and Licensing Committee at its meeting on 18 December 2019. The original report was reproduced in its entirety in the agenda and an update was provided at the end in an ‘Addendum’.

This was an outline planning application addressing the principle of development with all other matters reserved – i.e. details of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale - at this stage. It comprised the demolition of all buildings; construction of new buildings providing 35,000 sqm of class B1b, B1c, B2 and B8 (i.e. research and development, light industrial, general industrial and storage and distribution respectively) floor space and 250 sqm of class A3 (restaurants and cafés) floor space, together with associated vehicle parking, loading, cycle parking and infrastructure.

As an outline application with all matter reserved, specific details of the form of development would be provided at the reserved matters stage if outline planning permission was granted. Nevertheless, an indicative layout plan, parameter plan showing building heights and a plan showing indicative points of access accompanied the application. The former shows 13 new buildings, retention of one existing building. The latter drawing showed all access (at 3 points) being from the Tilbury Road. The current T junction of the A128 and Tilbury Road would be replaced by a roundabout within the existing limits of the highway funded by the developer.

Mr Ovenden, Associate Consultant Planner, presented the application. 

The application was recommended for refusal by officers.

Mrs June Palmer was present at the meeting and addressed the committee in objection to the application.

Cllr Foan, Parish Councillor for West Horndon, addressed the committee in objection of the application.

Mr Andrew Tabachnik, the agent for the application, addressed the committee in support of the application.

Following a full discussion Cllr Mynott  MOVED and Cllr Haigh SECONDED a motion to REFUSE the application.

A recorded vote was taken and Members voted as follows:

FOR:  Cllrs G Barrett, Morrissey, Fryd, Haigh, Laplain and Mynott (6)

AGAINST: Cllrs Bridge, Jakobsson, McCheyne, Nolan, Miss Sanders and Tanner (6)

ABSTAIN:  0

The Chair exercised her casting vote and the motion for REFUSAL was LOST.

Following a full discussion Cllr Miss Sanders MOVED and Cllr McCheyne SECONDED that the application be APPROVED.

Members voted as follows:

FOR:  Cllrs Bridge, Jakobsson, McCheyne, Nolan, Miss Sanders and Tanner (6)

AGAINST:  Cllrs G Barrett, Morrissey, Fryd, Haigh, Laplain and Mynott (6)

ABSTAIN:  0

The Chair exercised her casting vote and the motion for APPROVAL was CARRIED.

Members considered there were very special circumstances:

·                The significant economic benefits and sustainability benefits and the absence of an alternative site outweighed the harm identified in the Green Belt

·                This development was cited in the emerging Local Development Plan.

As explained at the meeting, due to the nature of the application, the Secretary of State had to be notified of the proposal to grant planning permission, prior to issuing the decision.  The Secretary of State responded, confirmed he would not intervene and the application should be determined by the planning authority.  The permission has since been issued.